


As it Turns to the Rhythm of Love

by doctornineandthreequarters



Series: Iron Man Bingo [18]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Iron Man Bingo 2019, Pepper Potts Feels, Pepperony - Freeform, Post-Iron Man 2, Pre-Avengers (2012), Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 03:51:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20269564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctornineandthreequarters/pseuds/doctornineandthreequarters
Summary: Tony reflects on his ever-changing relationship with Pepper.---Iron Man Bingo #18- Friends to Lovers





	As it Turns to the Rhythm of Love

**Author's Note:**

> A short little Pepperony drabble to fulfill the friends to lovers spot on my Iron Man Bingo card. Enjoy!

It started with a smirk.

Tony Stark knew the moment he hired Pepper Potts that there was something different about her. She did her job fantastically and was the best PA Tony had ever had. But what really made him keep her around was her ‘take-no-shit’ attitude with a smile. She was polite and knew her place, but wasn’t afraid to make her opinions known. And Tony liked that about her; that she wasn’t just going to swallow his misogyny. He realized very quickly she was too smart to be a PA forever, so he kept her around as long as possible. 

She was his PA, but at some point she became his friend too. Maybe it was because Tony kept his inner circle so small. After he lost his parents and eventually Edwin Jarvis, letting people in just felt unnatural. But Pepper had seen him at his worst and still stuck around. And one day, as Tony was making one of his usual cracks, he noticed a smirk from Pepper. She hid it well from others but Tony knew it beyond just a working relationship. He had one more person to add to his inner circle. 

It changed with a dress

Tony was different when he got back from Afghanistan. He wasn’t drinking as heavily and certainly wasn’t bedding every woman he saw. No, his focus was the suit and stopping his weapons from continuing to be sold. And then he went to that gala. And she wore that dress. Pepper was a beautiful woman but Tony was always oblivious to it. Maybe it was because he’d always gone for women that were easy to get. But seeing her that night, holding her close and dancing with her, something changed for him. Maybe it was being so close to her, feeling pulled by her presence, feeling like he was drowning in her perfume. Or maybe it had always been there and he had been too foolish to notice. But as she pulled away from their almost kiss and he went to get a drink, he knew something had changed between them.

It sparked with a kiss. 

Maybe it was seeing her nearly die. Maybe it was him almost dying. Or maybe it was just time that they stopped fighting their attraction. But either way, when Tony kissed Pepper for the first time, he felt like his entire body was truly alive for the first time. Nothing was quite like the feeling of kissing her. He felt like electricity was coursing through his entire body, like he was on fire. And he never wanted that feeling to stop. And when she kissed him back, it felt like everything finally was perfect. It felt like this moment was meant to be. Like they were meant to be.

It became something more on a simple, domestic night.

Tony was lying in bed, clothes strewn about the room, covers just above his waist. Pepper was curled against his side, the rest of the bedding wrapped around her body. She was humming to herself as her fingers traced a pattern along the arc reactor. He watched her, a lazy smile on his face. When she looked up at him, he felt a flood of new feelings he had never experienced before overtake him. 

“What?” She asked, smiling at him. He just grinned back at her and pulled her close, pressing a long, lazy kiss against her lips. She responded in kind, gently running her fingers through his facial hair. When he pulled away and locked eyes with her, he felt all of those feelings bubbling out.

“I love you.” It was simple and tender. No big proclamation. Just a simple statement. He didn’t know if it could encompass just how much he loved her. But as she smiled at him, he knew it was enough. She kissed him again, pulling herself flush against his body. 

“I love you too.” Whatever cheesy clichés had been used to describe love before couldn’t full explain what Tony was feeling so he just kissed her back, grateful for this amazing woman who he loved.

**Author's Note:**

> Scream with me on my tumblr? http://doctornineandthreequarters.tumblr.com


End file.
